Temporary Car Insurance in Vermont: The Cheapest Options and What You Need to Know
Compare Rates
Ensure you're getting the best rate. Review quotes from a top insurance company.
Updated: 2/8/2023
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
If you own a car, one way to create temporary car insurance is to buy a regular policy and cancel it before it expires. You’ll typically get a full refund for the unused premiums. The cost of a three-month policy in Vermont is $203 on average.
Rental car insurance is the best option in Vermont if you’re only visiting or if you need to drive but don’t own a car.
MoneyGeek also analyzed other scenarios when you might need temporary car insurance. These include buying non-owner insurance to help get your license reinstated or working as a rideshare driver.
Can You Get Temporary Car Insurance in Vermont
In Vermont and other states, temporary car insurance can have different meanings. If you’re a car owner, you can purchase a regular car insurance policy and cancel it early. On the other hand, if you don’t own a car, you can get rental or non-owner car insurance.
Depending on your needs and situation, there are multiple ways to get temporary car insurance in Vermont. MoneyGeek evaluated all the options for obtaining short-term car insurance.
- Need a full car insurance policy temporarily? Buy and cancel
- Want to add or remove a driver? Alter your policy
- Renting a car? Buy from the rental company or use your own policy
- Don’t own a car? Look into non-owner Insurance
- Working for a rideshare company? Buy rideshare insurance
Buying a Six-Month Vermont Insurance Policy and Canceling It Early
In Vermont and other states, reputable insurance companies only offer car insurance policies with a minimum of six months of coverage. The average cost of a six-month car insurance policy in Vermont is $406.
You can shorten a six-month policy by canceling it before it expires. Most reputable insurance providers will provide a full refund for the unused premiums.
For example, you can buy a six-month car insurance policy in Vermont and have it canceled after 90 days. On average, you’ll only pay $203 for a 90-day policy, which is half the price of a six-month policy.
When using this strategy, MoneyGeek cautions against a lapse in insurance coverage since this can cause a significant increase in your rates later on.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance in Vermont
MoneyGeek calculated potential car insurance rates in Vermont for a regular six-month policy as well as a three-month and a one-month temporary car insurance policy.
On average, these insurance providers offer the cheapest car insurance policies in Vermont for a 90-day period:
- Vermont Mutual: $120 per 90 days
- Allstate: $163 per 90 days
The figures quoted above exclude cancellation fees. However, most major insurers do not charge cancellation fees and give full refunds for unused premiums.
Annual Cost of Car Insurance in Vermont by Policy Length
Scroll for more
Altering Vermont Car Insurance Temporarily Depending on Your Needs
In Vermont, altering your existing car insurance policy may be your best solution if you need to temporarily add or remove coverage. Certain situations may require you to get short-term car insurance, such as when you need to store your vehicle, someone borrows your car or your teenage child goes to college.
When You Should Alter Your Policy Temporarily
If your child is attending school elsewhere in Vermont, you can either temporarily remove them from your policy or ask your insurer for a discount.
If you need to store your car, you can save money by switching to comprehensive-only insurance. If you’re in the military, you can take advantage of USAA’s car storage discounts.
If you lend your car to someone else, you should only consider adding them to your policy if they regularly drive your vehicle.
Cheap Temporary Car Insurance for Students in Vermont
In Vermont, you need to add your child to your car insurance policy if you are living with them. This can be costly. MoneyGeek found that in Vermont, the cost of adding an 18-year old to an existing car insurance policy is $1,900 per year on average.
To temporarily adjust the cost of your car insurance, you can either take your young student off your policy for part of the year if they live more than 100 miles away, request for a distant student discount or keep them on your policy.
On average, it costs $317 to add a student for two months of the year during the summer in Vermont, compared to approximately $1,900 if they’re added for a full year.
In Vermont, Nationwide offers the biggest potential savings for temporarily taking a student off their parent’s policy.
Annual Cost of Adding an 18-Year-Old to Car Insurance in Vermont
Scroll for more
If your child is studying in Vermont and is close enough that you won’t be able to temporarily remove them from your policy or request a discount, you can still save money by shopping around. MoneyGeek compared the cheapest insurance companies for teens to help you find the best deals.
What to Do About Car Insurance if You’re Storing Your Car in Vermont
If you’re temporarily storing your car in Vermont, you can save money by switching to a comprehensive-only policy or seeking a vehicle storage discount.
If your vehicle is in storage, removing liability insurance coverage and switching to a comprehensive-only policy is a great way to save money. The average cost of comprehensive and collision insurance in Vermont with a $1,000 deductible is $310 per year. On the other hand, the average cost of a policy that includes liability insurance is $697 per year.
USAA is a good option if you’re an active-duty military member. This insurance provider has a car storage discount and also offers one the most affordable rates in Vermont before that discount at $389 per year on average.
What to Do If You Let Someone Else Drive Your Car
If someone else in your household drives your car, they need to be insured on the same policy as you. Meanwhile, if you allow someone from outside your home to drive your car, they will be covered by your policy and you won’t need to make any adjustments.
Buying Rental Car Insurance in Vermont
If you’re temporarily renting a car in Vermont, buying car insurance from the rental company is sufficient. Almost all rental companies offer basic liability insurance as well as the option to add collision damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance and personal accident insurance. Depending on the company, the average cost of adding all these coverages ranges from $48 to $58 per day. Based on your needs, you can mix and match options for cheaper coverage.
Finding Cheap Rental Car Insurance in Vermont
MoneyGeek gathered data in Burlington, Vermont and found that the average cost of rental car insurance ranges from $48 to $58 per day depending on the company.
The average daily cost of rental car insurance is $48 from Enterprise, $57 from Avis and $58 from Hertz. These policies include supplemental liability, collision damage waiver and personal accident insurance.
If you already have a car insurance policy, you may already be covered by your liability, collision and medical payments coverage, which means you don’t need to include them in your rental car insurance. Additionally, if your credit card provider offers collision damage waiver coverage for rental cars, you can decline this coverage from the rental company to save money.
Cost per Day of Rental Car Insurance in Vermont
Scroll for more
Buying Non-Owner Car Insurance in Vermont
If you don’t own a car but need proof of insurance when filing an SR-22 to have your license reinstated, non-owner car insurance is a good option. In Vermont, the cost of non-owner insurance is $454 per year on average.
The cheapest way to get temporary car insurance in Vermont for non-car owners who need to file an SR-22 is non-owner car insurance.
How to Get Temporary Rideshare Car Insurance for Rideshare in Vermont
In Vermont, rideshare drivers are covered by insurance once they accept a fare or transport a passenger. However, if they haven’t yet accepted a fare or aren’t transporting a passenger, they temporarily have a gap in coverage.
Rideshare insurance policies can be a solution to this, but they have limited availability across states. If you’re looking for the best rideshare insurance in Vermont, MoneyGeek compared companies that offer this type of policy to help you find the best option.
Frequently Asked Questions About Temporary Car Insurance in Vermont
MoneyGeek answered some of the most frequently asked questions about temporary car insurance in Vermont to help you determine if it fits your needs.
Yes, you can create temporary car insurance in Vermont by canceling your car insurance early. You can also buy a rental or a non-owner car insurance policy.
If you cancel your car insurance early, most major insurers will refund your unused premiums in full as long as you cancel before your sixth month.
Methodology
MoneyGeek, in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services, collected car insurance and non-owner car insurance quotes across Vermont. The policies mentioned in this guide are for a 40-year-old driver with full coverage as described on our methodology page. Quotes for student drivers represent the average cost of adding an 18-year-old driver to an existing policy.
Figures for one-month and three-month policies were calculated by MoneyGeek on a prorated basis, assuming a full refund from the insurance company. MoneyGeek manually collected rental car insurance quotes using the online tools of Avis, Enterprise and Hertz.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.